Mikel Arteta's Arsenal international break nightmare unfolds as new injury blow rocks squad

The 2024-25 season has been a challenging one for and their manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners were tipped to be strong contenders for the Premier League title, even potentially toppling Manchester City, especially after their near-miss last year.

However, a spate of injuries in the first quarter of the season has hampered their progress. Arteta has had to navigate key fixtures without some of his most important players, with many of these injuries occurring during international breaks, adding insult to injury for the Spanish coach.

, but the trend arguably started back in September when captain Martin Odegaard was forced off the pitch in tears during a Norway match. The influential midfielder sustained an ankle injury against Austria and missed several crucial games before making his comeback earlier this month.

To add to Arteta's woes, Bukayo Saka, another key player, limped off during an England game in the last international break. Although Saka's injury wasn't as severe as Odegaard's, it meant he missed the match against Bournemouth, where Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season.

. Saka made a comeback post-injury but later joined Declan Rice in withdrawing from the England team due to fitness worries, casting doubt on their participation against Forest, reports .

The Gunners' concerns are further compounded as Trossard is also in question for the upcoming match after an early exit during Belgium’s game against Israel, potentially adding him to the list of sidelined players including Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, and Kieran Tierney. With Arsenal eyeing the top of the table, these injuries could prove significant even at this stage of the season.

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However, there's some positive news for Arsenal as Odegaard returned from Norway duty earlier to aid his recovery. Odegaard commented on the situation saying: "I got through the match at the weekend, but it was a rather abrupt transition from the last nine weeks."

He added: "In this kind of process, you don't just go from being injured to suddenly being completely healthy. You tend to have a reaction to what happens, and then it's about how you react to it. Together with the NFF's medical team, we've looked at it and agreed that it's better for me to go back and make a full recovery.

"We have had an open and nice discussion. I have been talking to Ståle ever since I was injured, and of course more intensively in recent weeks. This is not about what Arsenal has said, or what Ståle has said. It's about what my situation is."